Broadband brings medical specialists to Australian bush

Photos NEWS Communications Minister Stephen Conroy unveiled the year-long trial on Monday night (23 March). The trial began last December and will allow Melbourne medical specialists to use videoconferencing systems to assess patients in regional trauma and critical care units up to 600 kilometresaway. This trial builds on work known as the ViTCCU (Virtual Trauma Critical Care Units) initiative done by the CSIRO, Telstra and NSW Health. It is being conducted across a group of eight Loddon Mallee Health Alliance facilities in southern Victoria and is running at a cost of US$7.74 million, of which $53.8 million has been sourced from the federal governments Clever Networksfund. The government hopes that this trial will prove that Victoria can save millions of dollars without the need to move patients to specialist doctors using costly ground and air ambulanceservices. The trial will use mobile carts equipped with high-definition teleconferencing equipment patient data sharing systems to link with conferencing rooms established in metropolitanhospitals. The alliances Chief Information Officer, Bruce Winzar, said the system could make up for shortages of expert medical staff in the bush and lead to the creation of new protocols for using e-health in trauma and critical care inVictoria. Sol Zalstein, Emergency Director at Bendigo Health, thinks the system provides a quantum leap in remote diagnosis of critically illpatients. Having now had the opportunity to use this new equipment, I can tell you the difference between having a phone call with a doctor in a regional hospital and trying to get an understanding of exactly whats going on with their patient. It (videoconferencing) certainly provides the doctor in the region with much better advice than would otherwise be provided, Zalsteinsaid. Rate this article

Both arrived in the Philippines overnight, transporting Australian doctors, nurses, paramedics, other medical specialists, and ADF logistic support staff, the Australian embassy said. The C-130J will transfer the medical personnel and equipment from Cebu to Tacloban. The AusMAT arrived on an ADF C17 flight from Darwin, Australia on Wednesday and will begin work in the coming days. It includes 12 doctors, 14 nurses, three paramedics, a radiographer, a pharmacist and six logisticians. ADF has also assigned an additional RAAF C-130J Hercules and stands ready to deploy a second C-17A Globemaster if required. The Royal Australian Navy ship, HMAS Tobruk, has also been made available to support the relief and recovery effort if required. HMAS Tobruk has heavy lift capability, on board accommodation and ability to support helicopter and landing craft operations. Australias Ambassador to the Philippines Bill Tweddell said that nothing could replace the lives of people who were lost, but it was hoped that Australias contribution would go some way to helping people rebuild their lives. As the scale of devastation becomes more evident, Australias further contribution will help people start the process of recovery as quickly as possible. The Australian Government stands ready to provide further assistance if and when required, Tweddell said. Israel, meanwhile, sent on Thursday an advanced multi-level medical facility, equipped with tons of humanitarian and medical supplies, to Tacloban, Leyte, the area hardest hit by “Yolanda.” The US$ 4-million mobile facility will be constructed with a childrens department, and a general ward, operated by Israeli doctors, nurses and health workers.